The Rise Of The Repair Movement Is An Antidote To Dangerous Overconsumption

LONDON — It’s an unusually sunny winter’s morning and, as Friday night revelers make their weary way home from local warehouse parties, I’m on my way to my first-ever repair event at Hub67, a community center in Hackney Wick that’s a five-minute walk from my apartment. I spy toasters, irons, laptops, radios, cellphones, vacuums, lamps and an enormous musical keyboard, and there’s an energetic vibe of organized chaos as volunteer “fixperts” from Hackney Fixers show visitors how to repair their stuff using the pliers, soldering irons and other tools dotted around the room. Before long, I get settled next door in the clothing section, where fashion repair expert Sarah Klymkiw is about to teach me to reattach a clasp onto a pair of jeans. It’s a simple enough task, but one I’ve had no idea how to tackle, meaning the jeans have been sitting at the back of my closet for months.